PSG Fans’ Riot Turns Deadly After Champions League Win
Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) historic UEFA Champions League victory was overshadowed by chaos and violence on Saturday evening, 31 May.
After PSG’s 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in Munich, Germany – their first-ever European title – celebrations across France quickly spiralled into mayhem.
In Dax, a 17-year-old boy was tragically stabbed during street festivities, while a man in his 20s died in Paris when a car struck his scooter. A police officer remains in an induced coma after being struck by fireworks, sustaining severe injuries to the eyes. In Grenoble, a vehicle veered into celebrating PSG fans, leaving four injured and one in a critical state.
Authorities deployed over 5 400 officers in Paris, using tear gas, water cannons, and arrests to control unruly crowds. More than 550 people were detained, with over 190 injured. Shops were looted, vehicles torched, and flares lit as the jubilant mood soured.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, calling it “unacceptable” and a betrayal of football’s spirit.
“We are in a moment of joy, but nothing can justify what has happened in the last few hours. The events are unacceptable; they have deprived our compatriots of happiness,” he said, and added: “Two people are dead. The nation is in mourning. We will punish; we will be relentless. That’s not football.”
Amidst the triumph, France is left grappling with the sobering aftermath of what should have been a night of glory.
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